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| {{Blockquote|text=“When I was working on (''Cryptic Writings''), I went to a 12-step meeting in a place right next to the studio. The guy who runs it told me he had something to show me, and he had this box and goes, "Check this out... That's Bob"... Then he told me that earlier in the day, a guy had gone to a meeting and then shot up and died at the halfway house and that this box was all his stuff... I wrote the lyrics to "Use the Man" immediately. There's a proverb in China or Japan that goes, "First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes the drink, then the drink takes the man." I thought, "The same thing could be said about the needle." First the man uses the needle, then the needle uses the needle, then the needle uses the man. And that's where the title came from. | {{Blockquote|text=“When I was working on (''Cryptic Writings''), I went to a 12-step meeting in a place right next to the studio. The guy who runs it told me he had something to show me, and he had this box and goes, "Check this out... That's Bob"... Then he told me that earlier in the day, a guy had gone to a meeting and then shot up and died at the halfway house and that this box was all his stuff... I wrote the lyrics to "Use the Man" immediately. There's a proverb in China or Japan that goes, "First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes the drink, then the drink takes the man." I thought, "The same thing could be said about the needle." First the man uses the needle, then the needle uses the needle, then the needle uses the man. And that's where the title came from. | ||
| These guys come out of prison, go to a halfway house, their systems have cleaned out, but they think they can use half as much and get twice as high. They don't realize that their systems have cleaned out, and they O.D. So that's what "Use the Man" was about. It's a very, very sad song about people overdosing on drugs.”|author=Dave Mustaine<ref name="Dave Mustaine 15 Songs">{{cite web |last1=Grow |first1=Kory |title=Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine: My Life in 15 Songs |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/megadeths-dave-mustaine-my-life-in-15-songs-118539/dystopia-107066/ |website=Rolling Stone |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>}} | These guys come out of prison, go to a halfway house, their systems have cleaned out, but they think they can use half as much and get twice as high. They don't realize that their systems have cleaned out, and they O.D. So that's what "Use the Man" was about. It's a very, very sad song about people overdosing on drugs.”|author=Dave Mustaine, 2017<ref name="Dave Mustaine 15 Songs">{{cite web |last1=Grow |first1=Kory |title=Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine: My Life in 15 Songs |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/megadeths-dave-mustaine-my-life-in-15-songs-118539/dystopia-107066/ |website=Rolling Stone |access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref>}} | ||
| === Live === | === Live === | ||
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| "Use the Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Megadeth | ||||
| from the album Cryptic Writings | ||||
| Released | December 1997 (1997-12) | |||
| Recorded | September 1996 | |||
| Studio | The Tracking Room (Nashville, Tennessee), The Castle (Franklin, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Rock, thrash metal | |||
| Length | 4:35 (4:03 on reissue) | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Megadeth singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Use the Man" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, Cryptic Writings (1997). The song was one of the band's biggest hits, peaking at #15 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Background
Music
The first half of "Use the Man" contains a rock-oriented sound, while the second half transitions into a faster tempo, more in line with the thrash sound the band usually play. The first half features prominent use of acoustic guitars and strings.
The song begins with a sample of Needles and Pins by The Searchers, which was removed for the radio edit and remaster.
Lyrics
The lyrics for "Use the Man" were inspired by a recovering addict who went to a halfway house, shot up (on Heroin), and died.
“When I was working on (Cryptic Writings), I went to a 12-step meeting in a place right next to the studio. The guy who runs it told me he had something to show me, and he had this box and goes, "Check this out... That's Bob"... Then he told me that earlier in the day, a guy had gone to a meeting and then shot up and died at the halfway house and that this box was all his stuff... I wrote the lyrics to "Use the Man" immediately. There's a proverb in China or Japan that goes, "First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes the drink, then the drink takes the man." I thought, "The same thing could be said about the needle." First the man uses the needle, then the needle uses the needle, then the needle uses the man. And that's where the title came from. These guys come out of prison, go to a halfway house, their systems have cleaned out, but they think they can use half as much and get twice as high. They don't realize that their systems have cleaned out, and they O.D. So that's what "Use the Man" was about. It's a very, very sad song about people overdosing on drugs.”
— Dave Mustaine, 2017
Live
"Use the Man" has been performed 194 times by Megadeth, as well as once by both Mustaine and David Ellefson. Since the band reformed in 2004, it has been played only a handful of times, and exclusively at acoustic concerts. The song was among the first Mustaine played live after his arm injury which caused him to be unable to play guitar.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Use The Man (Edit)" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Use The Man (Album Version)" | 4:36 |
Chart performance
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock | 15 |
Personnel
Megadeth
- Dave Mustaine – guitars, lead vocals
- David Ellefson – bass, backing vocals
- Marty Friedman – guitars, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Nick Menza – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Dann Huff – production
- Dave Mustaine – co-production
- Jeff Balding – recording, mixing
- Mark Hagen – recording assistant, mixing assistant
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Bud Prager – A & R direction, E.S.P. management
- Mike Renault – E.S.P. management
- Giles Martin – producer (remaster)
2004 remaster/remix
- Produced by Dave Mustaine
- Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
- Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
- Edited by Lance Dean, Scott "Sarge" Harrison, and Keith Schreiber with Bo Caldwell
- Mastered by Tom Baker
References
- ^ "Cryptic Writings – Megadeth – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- Mosqueda, Ruben (June 17, 2017). "Megadeth: 'Cryptic Writings'". Sleaze Roxx. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- Golemis, Dean (July 4, 1997). "Megadeth: Cryptic Writings (Capitol)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- Clouse, Matthew. "Megadeth: 'Cryptic Writings' Album Review". Odyssey. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- "'Cryptic Writings' Coming Soon From Megadeth". MTV News. MTV. April 16, 1997. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- Gibson, Caren (June 17, 2022). "'Cryptic Writings': Deciphering Megadeth's Shift To Radio-Ready Metal". U Discover Music. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- Freidman, Marty (September 23, 2002). "Story Behind The Song - Megadeth's Cryptic Writings". MartyFriedman.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- The Scorpion (May 3, 2006). "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ Grow, Kory. "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ "Use the Man performed by Megadeth". Setlist.FM. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- "MEGADETH - AUDIO OF 'USE THE MAN' PERFORMED ACOUSTICALLY AVAILABLE". Brave Words. February 9, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- "APR 9 2003 Dave Mustaine Setlist at Nita's Hideaway, Tempe, AZ, USA". Setlist.FM. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- "Megadeth - Use The Man". Discogs. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
